This year the state legislature will consider bill that would forbid the outdoor the tethering of dogs between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., prohibit pet shops from selling dogs and cats bred at commercial animal mills, establish the idea of an animal advocate -- probably a law student working pro bono -- to investigate and argue for the welfare of an animal subject to cruelty, and prohibit municipalities from adopting breed-specific dog ordinances.

Those are just a few of the animal laws under consideration. Probably the most debateable is the animal advocate law. The existential reality of animals is that they cannot advocate for themselves, even though they have a significant interest in the way they're treated. But how do you decide who is best qualified to speak on their behalf? And how many rights do you grant to them? We'll discuss all this and more on today's show.

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